Are you OK with a B?

[Dan]

I'm fine with B's because my sons are usually harder on themselves than we are. My daughter is going to be getting grades soon and I imagine, other than keeping quiet, she'll do okay.

 

[psmith140]

If they are capable of getting the A's then push them. Seriously, most kids don't get A's because they just don't have the intelligence but if they can - exert some effort onto them! You want them to do well at school, and it will hold them in good stead when they are older. Just because you want them to do well doesn't mean you are excluding them from other kids or being harsh, it's a good first steps and they will thank you when you're older

 

[OldPopNLk]

Um yes.
I say that because I just don't want to push too hard.
I am thankful for small favors and only hope for the best.

 

[JCJ]

I understand not every kid will be good at every class. I'm ok with a B if they are trying. If they have given up though, it may be a whole other story.

I agree with this. To me, it is a matter of effort. If there is an 'A' effort then I'll be satisfied if the letter grade turns out to be a 'B'. My son struggled in mathematics. I tutor him, the teacher tutors him, and he tries really hard! So far, with help, he's managed to maintain that 'A' average, but if he came home with a 'B' in a math class I wouldn't sweat it too much.

I was always pressured to make A's. When I failed to get the 'A' I was punished..severely. There's no way I'd do that to my son. As long as honest effort was there a 'B' is okay with me.

 

[JoshTheBoss]

Am I okay with a B?

No.

Am I going to critize my child for getting a B?

No.

If you do that, they may eventually get the feeling that nothing is good enough. A's become expected and not revered, which sometimes is discouraging to a child.

Positive reinforcement, all the time.

 

[flfsurveyor]

We put too much emphasis on grades. It may not be the kid's fault entirely that he got a B. Some teachers do not give out A's unless the kid's performance is 'perfect'. As long as I know that my kid worked his best, then am OK with a 'B' grade but will ask if he may need my help in any way with his lessons.

 

[JoshTheBoss]

We put too much emphasis on grades. It may not be the kid's fault entirely that he got a B. Some teachers do not give out A's unless the kid's performance is 'perfect'. As long as I know that my kid worked his best, then am OK with a 'B' grade but will ask if he may need my help in any way with his lessons.

I agree. Everyone gets low marks at one point at another. We let ourselves push onto our children that it defines who they are - and that simply isn't true.

 

[taskeinc]

A "B" is GOOD, that's what it shows on the report card. I think it's OK to encourage all A's as long as you're not obsessive with it. I encourage A's and B's. My daughter makes mostly A's and some B's, no C's .. My son started out that way, but around 8th grade, the C's started showing up. I encouraged him to work harder, but never overreacted and I never punished him. Why? Because, as a parent, I have always compared myself as an adult/parent and how I was as a kid, that was once my child's age.

My parents would make me stay in the house for a month if I came home with a "C". When I was younger, if I made a "C" I would get a whipping, plus have to stay in the house for weeks. Long story short, that didn't make me a smarter student, didn't make me a better man. I tried harder, and in most cases, improved the grade, but in the long run their punishments had little effect on my life.

I didn't become a physician, not the president of the US. Oftentimes parents push kids too hard because they want to live vicariously through their children. A "B" is GOOD.